Me 410 B-1
= Messerschmitt Me 410 = The Messerschmitt Me 410 ''Hornisse'' ("Hornet") was a German heavy fighter and Schnellbomber used by the Luftwaffe duringWorld War II. Though essentially a straightforward modification of the Me 210, it was designated the Me 410 to avoid association with its notoriously flawed predecessor. This Model Variant The Me 410B1-series was largely the same as the A-series, but replaced the 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 with 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine gun. The originally planned 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) DB 603G engine was cancelled in early 1944, so all Me 410Bs used DB 603A or DB 603AA engines. The DB 603G would have increased the maximum speed to 630 km/h (392 mph), and cruising speed to 595 km/h (370 mph), although the weights increased once again. The versions were the same as with the A-series. The Me 410 B-1, and'Me 410 B-3' filling the same roles as the earlier A-1, and A-3 versions, also with the options of using the same Umrüst-Bausätze factory conversion kits as the A-series aircraft used Several experimental models were also developed. The Me 410 B-5 added shackles under the fuselage to carry a torpedo, and removed the MG 131s in the nose to make room for the FuG 200 Hohentwiel 550 MHz UHF-band maritime patrol radar. The bomb bay was not used in this version in order to make room for a 650 L (170 US gal) fuel tank, and the rearward-firing remote turrets were replaced by another 700 L (180 US gal) fuel tank for long-range missions. The Me 410 B-6 was a similar anti-shipping conversion, but intended for the short-range coastal defence role only. For this mission, it did not use a torpedo, and was instead a simple modification of the B-1 with the FuG 200 radar. The Me 410 B-7/B-8'were updated B-3 reconnaissance models that were only built as prototypes. Specifications (Me 410 A-1) From Wagner, Ray and Nowarra, Heinz. ''German Combat Planes: A Comprehensive Survey and History of the Development of German Military Aircraft from 1914 to 1945. New York: Doubleday, 1971, page 261. '''General characteristics * Crew: 2 (pilot and gunner) * Length: 12.4 m (40 ft 8-3/16 in) * Wingspan: 16.39 m (53 ft 9-1/4 in) * Height: 3.7 m (12 ft 2-5/8 in) * Wing area: 36.20 m² (390 ft²) * Empty weight: 6,150 kg (13,558 lb) * Max. takeoff weight: 10,760 kg (23,721 lb) * Powerplant: 2 × Daimler-Benz DB 603A liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,750 PS (1,726 hp, 1,287 kW) each Performance * Maximum speed: 624 km/h (388 mph) * Range: 2,300 km (1,400 mi) combat * Service ceiling: 10,000 m (32,800 ft) * Climb to 6,000 m (19,680 ft): 10.7 min Armament * Guns: ** 2 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 17 machine guns with 1,000 rpg, firing forward ** 2 × 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons with 350 rpg, firing forward ** 2 × 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns with 500 rpg, each firing rearward from FDSL 131/1B remote-operated turret, one per side * Rockets: 4 x 21 cm (8 in) Werfer-Granate 21 rockets * Bombs: ** up to 1,000 kg (2,204 lb) of disposable stores6 Variants Me 410 B * Me 410 B-1 * Me 410 B-2 ** Me 410 B-2/U2 ** Me 410 B-2/U4 * Me 410 B-3 * Me 410 B-5 * Me 410 B-6 * Me 410 B-7 y B-8